Piltover's Underground Tunnels
by Ezreal Pathfinder
Summary: The expedition that started it all - the mapping of Piltover's seemingly unnavigable tunnels.


_The grass bent towards me, almost beckoningly, urging me forwards in some unspoken way. I pushed aside the thick foliage, my heart quickening at the sight before me. Up ahead of me stood vast mountains, seemingly impossible for anyone to climb. But I wanted to run up them; to be as high... No, higher than any eagle or creature capable of flight. How it would feel, to be on top of the world..._

_Yet something else called me. To my left was a dark looking crevice - a gaping hole that could lead to the depths of the world and hide endless amounts of secrets humankind could never dream of... Or, have forgotten long ago. I glanced back at the mountains longingly... But the underground seemed to yowl for me to discover it's wonders._

"Ezreal! You're going to be late for your studies again, honey!"

A voice cut into my vivid dream, cutting me out of my sleep. I scrambled out of bed, my hair and bed sheets a complete mess; if I didn't make it in time, I would get another lecture. As much as I could avoid the worst of the consequences, the long ranting of my parents took up time that I could never get back. Young as I was, I knew the value of time and how precious it was.

I hurriedly changed into my magic robes, nabbed my bag and a quick breakfast before charging out the door. I sprinted down the street haphazardly, not paying attention to anyone who happened to have the misfortune of being directly in my path. They grumbled loudly as they barely moved out of the way, not wishing to be ran into by an eight year old boy. A prodigy, to be exact, but a little boy nonetheless. Either way, no one was fond of being barrelled over.

Although not the most polite or civilised way to get to school, I managed to reach it in the nick of time. One of the professors immediately ushered me in, a slight frown on their face. Fortunately I barely got there in time - late pupils were scolded and punished. I had been able to avoid most of it by being 'special', but I didn't want to press my luck further than I already had.

I made my way to my home room, nearly tripping over my inconveniently long robes every few steps. I was one of the shortest in my class... No, probably the shortest and youngest in my entire school, due to my intelligence. Therefore, the robes I had been issued were far too oversized, despite being labelled 'extra small'.

I burst into the room, just before the class started, and ran to my seat near the middle of the room, right beside a window. Because of the increasingly heat of the temperature, it was open to allow for ventilation. The very slight cool morning breeze tickled my face teasingly, while blowing a few strands of my hair into my face. I brushed them to the sides of my face, feeling a little self conscious. It felt as if the entirety of everyone's stares were trained on me, though I tried to ignore it.

My home room professor, Professor Saurpeckel, after eyeing me through his oval spectacles with his squinty, accusing glare, began to run through the attendance list. Once he reached my name, I replied with a curt, "Here!"

As soon as he finished, he began the lesson - another boring study in advanced magic or something. I really couldn't be bothered to pay attention at all, and doodled in my notebook most of the lesson whilst the rest of the students wrote notes tediously. Most of the lesson went off without barely anything worth mentioning -besides the fact that I had sketched out a drawing of the majority of Piltover- until the last few minutes of the teaching.

A short scholar with curly brown hair -and rather large, comical looking feet- entered the room, looking quite panicked and frazzled. "Professor Saurpeckel! There is an emergency occurring by the Left Wing that you must come help and resolve!" He exclaimed in a terrified, squeaky voice. Saurpeckel nodded, and followed the jumpy scholar out of the room. Apparently he was supposed to come back soon, but I never did find out if he did, or what happened in the Left Wing.

Noticing the opportunity, and with my classmates busily chattering like sparrows over the possibilities of what was happening, I had gotten out of my seat and edged over to the window silently. No one seemed to notice me as I climbed onto the sill and slipped out of the school. Not a single soul paid any attention to the small boy darting his way across the yard and over the short fence surrounding it. They had other things to keep their minds busy. I, on the other hand, had my own plans.

I stopped briefly once I dashed a block or two away to double check a nearby public city map to make sure I was going the right way. Although I knew my way to the entrance of Piltover's Underground Tunnel, I wanted to make sure that the route that would take me to it unseen was still open. Although crude, the public map was often kept up to date with which alleyways were blocked and which were passable.

After checking the map, I headed down the street, looking for recognisable stores or restaurants that reassured me that I was on the right track. I knew my senses were rarely ever wrong, but I had no time for getting lost. If even one person caught a glimpse of me, and had the slightest idea of who I was, my adventure would be cut short. It was risky, but well worth the dangers, in my opinion. When else could I get another chance to get out?

I heard approaching footsteps nearby and I instantly dashed towards the closest alleyway, once again nearly tripping and falling on my robes. Luckily, whoever was coming up behind me wasn't actually focussed on me, specifically. Once hidden in the shadows of the backstreet, I turned to see who it had been.

I let out a small breath of relief when it had merely been Caitlyn, patrolling the area. Although I knew she'd turn me in within a second on any other day, she would prioritise the city's safety over some mischievous boy. Well, to me, I felt as if I was doing Piltover a favour with my mission - mapping it's seemingly complex tunnels. There was some sense in me, telling me to venture far and draw guides for the world, and I intended to start with a challenge. After all, you can't go very far if you don't move outside your comfort zone. And you accomplish much if you move outside practically everyone's comfort zone.

After several minutes, I finally reached the entrance to Piltover's Underground Tunnels. My eyes widened and I trembled in anticipation; though the archway before me with the engraved words 'Piltover Underground Tunnels' didn't seem that exciting to the casual observer, it was a pretty big deal for me. Gripping the parchment and quill I had brought along with me tightly, I took a few tentative steps towards the entrance before bounding in, unable to contain my energy.

What hit me first was the damp smell that reminded me of metal mixed in with the faint remains of leftover tuna casserole. I wrinkled my nose up at the putrid air, but mentally reassured myself that it could be worse.

A little cautious about the slick looking ground underfoot, I took my time walking through the tunnels. Fortunately, on the walls, sat little glowing torches to lighten the path. Otherwise, it would have been completely pitch black. Although that wouldn't have been a major problem -I could have just conjured a little light for myself- it would have caused me to multitask. Multitasking in potentially dangerous and highly unfamiliar areas was just asking for a big accident. An accident was not what I was looking for, especially where no one could find me.

As I travelled through the tunnels, I started to map them out. The farther I traversed, the more the map was to find my way out than for anyone else. Though I could probably navigate out with my internal compass, it would be a lot faster with a map, no matter how much I didn't want to admit it.

There were several times where I skidded on the slippery tunnel floor, nearly sliding over the edge of the path and into the murky water below which stank of rusting machines and trash. I was capable of swimming, but I couldn't swim through that kind of mess.

I went through many different twists, turns and curves throughout the tunnel system. I became exhausted after awhile, and stopped several times for a break. I lost track of time a long time before, but I didn't lose determination - I came there to map out the tunnels, and I was going to do it. The filth of the place began to cling to me, and I became more adjusted to the smell. I hardly looked much like the boy who first entered the underground.

Right when I thought I could not press on for much longer, something caught my eye; a tiny circle of light. I gasped quietly, for it was the entrance I had long ago passed through, which also meant...

I glanced down at my map excitedly: indeed, it was all complete! I quickly signed my name in the corner and hurried towards the opening, eager to share it with the world.


End file.
